Laundry treating appliance with bulk dispenser and treating chemistry cartridge therefor

ABSTRACT

A laundry treating appliance, such as a washing machine, either vertical or horizontal axis, can have a bulk dispenser assembly capable of dispensing multiple doses of treating chemistry from a bulk supply of treating chemistry. The bulk supply may be a solid block of treating chemistry held within a removable cartridge. A sensing assembly can be provided for determining the amount of treating chemistry that is dispensed from the bulk supply for a non-uniform dosing of treating chemistry.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/116,970, filed Feb. 17, 2015, which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Laundry treating appliances, such as clothes washers, refreshers, andnon-aqueous systems, can have a configuration based on a rotating drumthat defines a treating chamber in which laundry items are placed fortreating. Historically, residential or home-use versions of theseappliances have single dose dispensers provided with compartment orcups, typically in a drawer or under a cover, in which the user of theappliance would fill with a dose of treating chemistry that wassufficient for the cycle of operation to be selected. Recently, bulkdispensers, i.e. dispensers holding multiple doses of a treatingchemistry, have become more common, yet with single dose dispensersstill being dominate.

The bulk dispensers can be more convenient in that they relieve the userfrom having to fill the single dose dispenser for every cycle. However,the particular implementation of current bulk dispensers have createdtheir own inconveniences. In some implementations, the bulk dispenser isconfigured to dispense a fixed dose of treating chemistry, which may notbe sufficient for all cycles and load sizes. Further, some bulkdispensers can only accept and dispense one type of treating chemistry.

BRIEF SUMMARY

According to an embodiment of the invention, a laundry treatingappliance for treating laundry in accordance with an automatic cycle ofoperation includes a tub defining an interior for retaining liquid, aliquid supply assembly in fluid communication with the tub and operableto supply liquid for use in treating laundry, and a dispenser assembly.The dispenser assembly includes a housing defining a chamber with abase, one or more support ribs located within the chamber andcollectively defining an erosion platform located above the base that isconfigured to support a solid block of treating chemistry, a liquid flowchannel extending at least partially along the one or more support ribs,a liquid inlet to the flow channel in fluid communication with theliquid supply assembly, and a liquid outlet from the flow channel influid communication with the tub. Liquid supplied to the liquid inletenters the liquid flow channel and the liquid flow channel is configuredto pass the liquid under the erosion platform to erode a portion of thesolid block to form a mixture of liquid and treating chemistry, and themixture is supplied to the tub through the liquid outlet.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a treating chemistrycartridge is provided for use in a dispenser assembly of a laundrytreating appliance for treating laundry in accordance with an automaticcycle of operation. The treating chemistry cartridge includes a casingdefining an interior chamber with a base and having a liquid inlet and aliquid outlet, one or more support ribs extending upwardly relative fromthe base, and collectively defining an erosion platform configured tosupport a solid block of treating chemistry within the interior chamber,and a liquid flow channel extending between the liquid inlet and theliquid outlet, at least partially defined by the one or more supportribs. Liquid supplied to the liquid inlet enters the liquid flow channeland passes under the erosion platform to erode a portion of the solidblock.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a laundry treating appliance in the formof a washing machine having a dispenser assembly according to a firstembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the washing machine from FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the dispenser assembly from FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through the dispenser assembly of FIG. 3,showing the flow path of liquid to dispense treating chemistry.

FIG. 5 illustrates an insert for adapting the dispenser assembly of FIG.3 to dispense a liquid treating chemistry;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a laundry treating appliance in the formof a washing machine having a dispenser assembly according to a secondembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view through a dispenser assemblyaccording to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a first perspective view of a dispenser housing of thedispenser assembly from FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a second perspective view of a dispenser housing of thedispenser assembly from FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of a casing for a cartridge of thedispenser assembly from FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 7, showing the flowpath through thedispenser assembly.

FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a sensingassembly for treating chemistry in a laundry treating appliance.

FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of a sensingassembly for treating chemistry in a laundry treating appliance.

FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of a dispenserassembly for a laundry treating appliance.

FIG. 15 is a schematic illustration of yet another embodiment of adispenser assembly for a laundry treating appliance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the invention relate to a laundry treating appliancehaving a bulk dispensing apparatus configured to dispense a measuredamount of treating chemistry. Using the various embodiments describedherein, a correct dose of treating chemistry for each cycle of operationcan be dispensed from the bulk supply.

In some embodiments, there are two main components of the bulkdispensing apparatus. One is the dispenser assembly, which can be anintegral part of the laundry treating appliance. The other is thecartridge containing the treating chemistry, which is a consumable. Thecartridge can be replaced when necessary. In an alternate embodiment,the cartridge can be configured to be refillable, in which case thetreating chemistry alone is considered to be a consumable. The cartridgetreating chemistry can be in the form of a solid, consumable block. Inaccordance with some embodiments of the invention described below, thesolid block of treating chemistry can be supported on an erosionplatform, and a liquid passing under the erosion platform erodes aportion of the solid block to form a mixture of liquid and treatingchemistry that is used for a cycle of operation. As used herein withrespect to mixtures of liquid and treating chemistry, the mixture may,for example, be a solution or suspension of liquid and treatingchemistry. The dispenser can also apply to other types of treatingchemistries, such as gels, powders, pods, or liquids.

In other embodiments, the bulk dispensing apparatus can include a bulksupply of multiple treating chemistries, with the treating chemistriessegregated from each other for timed dispensing at a desired phase ofthe cycle of operation.

In yet other embodiments, the bulk dispensing apparatus can be providedin conjunction with a sensing and control system for determining andcontrolling the amount of treating chemistry that is dispensed from abulk supply. This permits a non-uniform dosing of treating chemistrytailored to the particular cycle of operation, the size of the laundryload, or the fabric composition of the laundry load.

As used herein, treating chemistry may be any type of aid for treatinglaundry, and examples may include, but are not limited to washing aids,such as detergents and oxidizers, including bleaches, and additives,such as fabric softeners, sanitizers, de-wrinklers, and chemicals forimparting desired properties to the fabric, including for example, stainresistance, water repellency, fragrance (e.g., perfumes), insectrepellency, brighteners, whitening agents, builders, and UV protection.

Embodiments of the description can be implemented in any laundrytreating appliance that performs a cycle of operation to clean orotherwise treat items placed therein, non-limiting examples of whichinclude a horizontal or vertical axis clothes washer; a combinationwashing machine and dryer; a tumbling or stationaryrefreshing/revitalizing machine; an extractor; a non-aqueous washingapparatus; and a revitalizing machine. Washing machines are typicallycategorized as either a vertical axis washing machine or a drum typewashing machine such as a horizontal axis washing machine. As usedherein, a “vertical axis” washing machine refers to a washing machinehaving a perforate or imperforate wash basket that holds fabric items,and a mover, such as an agitator, impeller, nutator, or the like withinthe wash basket that moves the fabric items. The mover moves within thewash basket to impart mechanical energy directly to the clothes orindirectly through wash liquid in the wash basket. The mover maytypically be moved in a reciprocating or a rotational movement, or acombination thereof. In some vertical axis washing machines, the washbasket rotates about a vertical axis generally perpendicular to asurface that supports the washing machine. However, the rotational axisneed not be vertical. The wash basket may rotate about an axis inclinedrelative to the vertical axis. As used herein, the “drum type” washingmachine refers to a washing machine having a rotatable wash basket,perforated or imperforate that holds fabric items but lacks a separatemover. The wash basket may have vanes or the like, but mechanical energyis imparted directly to the clothes or indirectly through wash liquidsolely by rotation of the wash basket. In some horizontal axis washingmachines, the wash basket rotates about a horizontal axis generallyparallel to a surface that supports the washing machine. However, therotational axis need not be horizontal. The wash basket may rotate aboutan axis inclined relative to the horizontal axis. In horizontal axiswashing machines, the clothes are lifted by the rotating wash basket andthen fall in response to gravity to form a tumbling action. Mechanicalenergy is imparted to the clothes by the tumbling action formed by therepeated lifting and dropping of the clothes. Vertical axis andhorizontal axis machines are best differentiated by the manner in whichthey impart mechanical energy to the fabric articles.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a laundry treating appliance 10 having adispenser assembly 12 according to a first embodiment of the invention.The laundry treating appliance is illustrated in the form of a verticalaxis washing machine 10, and shares many features of a traditionalautomatic washing machine, which will not be described in detail exceptas necessary for a complete understanding of illustrative embodiments inaccordance with the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the washing machine 10 can include a housing14 defining an interior 16. The housing 14 can be a cabinet, chassis, orboth. A door or lid 18 is operably coupled with the housing 14 and isselectively moveable between opened and closed positions to close anopening in a top wall of the housing 14, which provides access to theinterior 16 of the housing 14.

The housing 14 may also support the dispenser assembly 12 for dispensingtreating chemistry during a cycle of operation. The dispenser assembly12 may configured as a drawer 20 which is accessed by opening the lid18, as shown in FIG. 1. The drawer 20 can include one or more chambersfor accommodating treating chemistry. At least one chamber 22accommodates a bulk cartridge 24 containing a bulk supply of treatingchemistry. As used herein, a bulk supply of treating chemistry is anamount of treating chemistry greater than that needed for a single cycleof operation in the appliance. In the illustrated embodiment, the drawer20 includes two other chambers 26, 28 which each accommodate a singledose of treating chemistry. As used herein, a single dose or single dosesupply of treating chemistry is an amount of treating chemistry neededfor a single cycle of operation in the appliance. Additional details ofthe dispenser assembly 12 are explained below.

The cartridge 24 contains enough treating chemistry for multiple cyclesof operation, i.e. to treat multiple loads of laundry. In an alternateembodiment, the cartridge 24 may be a single-dose cartridge containingenough treating chemistry for only a single cycle of operation. This isless preferred, because a user would need to replace the cartridge witheach cycle. The cartridge 24 can contain various treating chemistrieswhich improve particular aspects of the laundry treating quality.Multiple cartridges 24 containing different treating chemistries can beprovided. One cartridge can promote one improvement in laundry treatingquality, while another cartridge can promote a different improvement inlaundry treating quality. The cartridges can of course promote anycombination of these improvements as well. If different treatments aredesired for different laundry loads, one cartridge can be exchanged foranother between cycles of operation.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the washing machine 10 fromFIG. 1. A tub 30 can be provided in the interior 16 of the housing 14and can be configured to hold liquid. The tub 30 can be supported withinthe housing 14 by a suitable suspension assembly (not shown). Arotatable basket 32 having an open top is disposed within the tub 30 andcan define a treating chamber 34 for treating laundry. The rotatablebasket 32 can include a plurality of perforations (not shown), such thatliquid can flow between the imperforate tub 30 and the rotatable basket32 through the perforations. The lid 18 (FIG. 1) can selectively provideaccess to the treating chamber 34.

While the illustrated washing machine 10 includes both the imperforatetub 30 and the rotatable basket 32, with the rotatable basket 32defining the treating chamber 34, it is within the scope of the presentdisclosure for the washing machine 10 to include only one receptacle,with the receptacle defining both a tub and a treatment chamber forreceiving laundry.

A clothes mover 36 is located in the treating chamber 34 to impartmechanical agitation to a load of laundry placed in the treating chamber34. The basket 32 and the clothes mover 36 are driven by a driveassembly that includes a motor 38 operably coupled with the basket 32and clothes mover 36. The motor 38 can be any suitable type of motorincluding an electrical motor.

A liquid supply assembly 40 is provided to supply liquid, such as wateror a combination of water and one or more treating chemistries, into thetreating chamber 34. Water may be supplied from a water source, such asa household water supply 42, to the dispenser assembly 12 by operationof at least one valve 44 controlling the flow of water through a supplyconduit 46. An outlet conduit 48 extends from the dispenser assembly 12to the tub 30 or to the treating chamber 34. Thus, any treatingchemistry supplied from the dispenser assembly 12 may be supplied to thetub 30 via the outlet conduit 48. It is noted that the treatingchemistry supplied can be supplied directly to the tub 30, such as via aspace between the tub 30 and basket 32, or indirectly to the tub 30 viathe treating chamber 34; for example, due to the perforations in thebasket 32, treating chemistry in the treating chamber 34 will flow intothe tub 30. While not shown, the liquid supply assembly 40 may beprovided with additional conduits, valves, etc. for water to be supplieddirectly to the treating chamber by bypassing the dispenser assembly 12.Further, separate conduits, valves, etc. may be provided for eachchamber 22, 26, 28 (FIG. 1) of the dispenser assembly 12 as needed.

A liquid recirculation assembly 50 may be provided for recirculatingliquid from the tub 30 to the treating chamber 34. More specifically, asump 52 is located in the bottom of the tub 30 and the liquidrecirculation assembly 50 is configured to recirculate wash liquid fromthe sump 52 onto the top of a laundry load located in the treatingchamber 34 via a recirculation conduit 54. A pump 56 is housed below thetub 30 and can have an inlet fluidly coupled with the sump 52 and anoutlet configured to fluidly couple to either a household drain 58 orthe recirculation conduit 54. In this configuration, the pump 56 is usedto drain and recirculate wash liquid. The liquid recirculation assemblycan include other types of recirculation assemblies, including one withseparate pumps for recirculation and draining.

A user interface 60 is included on the housing 14 and can have one ormore knobs, switches, displays, and the like for communicating with theuser, such as to receive input and provide output. A controller 62 iscoupled with various working components of the washing machine 10,including the user interface 60, to control the operation of the workingcomponents. The controller 62 is provided with a memory 64 and a centralprocessing unit (CPU) 66. The memory 64 is used for storing the controlsoftware that is executed by the CPU 66 in completing a cycle ofoperation using the washing machine 10 and any additional software. Thememory 64 can also be used to store information, such as a database ortable, and to store data received from the one or more components of thewashing machine 10 that is communicably coupled with the controller 62.

The controller 62 is operably coupled with one or more components of thewashing machine 10 for communicating with and/or controlling theoperation of the components to complete a cycle of operation. Forexample, the controller 62 is coupled with the motor 38, valve 44, pump56 and user interface 60. The controller 62 can also receive input fromvarious sensors.

The washing machine 10 can be programmed to send enough liquid throughthe dispenser assembly 12 to dispense the amount of treating chemistryrequired in each cycle. This amount may vary, depending on load size,cycle selection, and other factors. For example, for a cycle treating alarge load of laundry, more treating chemistry may be dispensed than fora cycle treating a small load of laundry. The washing machine 10 can beprovided with a suitable apparatus for determining load size, such as aweight sensor coupled with the controller 62 and providing input to thecontroller 62 to control dispensing.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the dispenser assembly 12. The dispenserassembly 12 has various functions, the main functions being: (1) tosupport the cartridge 24 in the laundry treating appliance; (2) toprovide controlled flow of water required for proper dilution of thetreating chemistry at the right time during the cycle of operation; (3)to discharge the mixture resulting from dilution of the treatingchemistry to a suitable area of the laundry treating appliance; and (4)other complementary functions. The basic function of the cartridge 24 isto contain the consumable treating chemistry.

The dispenser assembly 12 generally comprises a dispenser housing 68that includes the drawer 20 and a drawer housing 70 for receiving thedrawer 20. Other embodiments of the dispenser housing 68 are possible,including housings that do not include a drawer. The dispenser housing68 defines at least one chamber; as described above, the illustrateddispenser housing includes three chambers 22, 26, 28 in the drawer 20.The drawer housing 70 may be a separate component that is mounted orfixed to the housing 14 of the washing machine 10 (FIG. 1), or may beformed with or provided by a portion of the housing 14 itself. Thedrawer housing 70 can include one or more pathways for directing liquidto the chambers 22, 26, 28 of the drawer 20.

The drawer 20 includes a drawer body 72 and a drawer front 74 defining afront of the drawer 20 and which also forms a handle which a user graspsto open the drawer 20. The chambers 22, 26, 28 can be provided asopen-top receptacles or cups in the drawer body 72. The drawer body 72further includes two side walls 76 extending from the drawer front 74, arear wall 78 extend between the two side walls 76, and a bottom wall 80which can define the base for one or more of the chambers 22, 26, 28.The drawer body 72 can further be subdivided into discrete chambers byone or more partitions; as shown, two partition walls 82 extend from thedrawer front 74 to the rear wall 78 to divide the drawer body 72 intothe three chambers 22, 26, 28. The bottom wall 80 of the drawer body 72can be sloped downwardly in a direction away from the drawer front 74,such that liquid tends to flow toward the rear wall 78 of the drawer 20.

Each chamber 22, 26, 28 can be configured based on the type or form oftreating chemistry to be dispensed from that chamber. In the embodimentillustrated herein, the chamber 26 is configured to receive a detergentfor the main wash phase of a cycle and chamber 28 is configured toreceive a fabric softener for the rinse phase of a cycle. Each chamber26, 28 can receive a single dose of treating chemistry, and is refilledmanually by the user with each cycle of operation. The chamber 22 isconfigured to receive the bulk cartridge 24.

The bulk cartridge 24 includes a casing 84 containing a bulk supply oftreating chemistry. The bulk supply can be provided in the form of asolid block 86 of treating chemistry. As used herein, a solid block oftreating chemistry is a treating chemistry having a stablethree-dimensional form. The solid block may have at least some degree ofporosity. The solid block can have a uniform or a non-uniformcomposition, including layered or irregular compositions. Somenon-limiting examples of the solid block include a compressed orsintered cake of granular or powdered treating chemistry with adissolvable binder, or a cast block of treating chemistry. Furtherdetails of some non-limiting examples of solid block treatingchemistries are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,900, U.S. Pat. No.4,753,755, U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,376, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,949, all ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The illustrated solid block 86 has a generally rectangular cuboid shape,with six quadrilateral faces, including a bottom face 88, a top face 90,and four side faces collectively defining a peripheral surface 92 of theblock 86. Other three dimensional shapes of the block 86 are possible.

The illustrated casing 84 has a three dimensional shape that complementsthe solid block 86, and includes a top cover 94 and a bottom cover 96that together define an interior chamber for receiving the solid block86. The interior chamber includes an erosion platform 98 for supportingthe block 86. When the cartridge 24 is inserted into the chamber 22, thebottom face 88 of the consumable block 86 is supported by the erosionplatform 98, which is shaped to enable exposure of the block 86 to acontrolled flow of water. This exposure will promote removal of treatingchemistry from the consumable block 86 by erosion or similar mechanism.The total amount of treating chemistry removed from the block 86 can bethe quantity of treating chemistry required for a particular load orcycle. As illustrated, the bottom cover 96 includes a plurality ofsupport ribs 100 extending upwardly to free edges 102 that collectivelydefine the erosion platform 98. The support ribs 100 can be formed aselongated, upstanding, and spaced walls on the bottom cover 96.

A liquid flow channel 104 for supplying liquid to the solid block 86extends through the cartridge 24 and can extend at least partiallybetween the support ribs 100. The ribs 100 can define multiple discreteflow paths therebetween, which collectively define liquid flow channel104.

A liquid inlet 106 to the flow channel 104 is in fluid communicationwith the liquid supply assembly 40 (FIG. 2) and a liquid outlet 108 fromthe flow channel 104 is in fluid communication, either directly orindirectly, with the tub 30 (FIG. 2). The inlet and outlet 106, 108 canbe formed in the casing 84, such that liquid flows into the casing 84through the inlet 106, passes through the flow channel 104, and out ofthe casing 84 through the outlet 108. As the liquid passes through theflow channel 104, it passes under the erosion platform 98 to erode aportion of the solid block 86 to form a mixture of liquid and treatingchemistry, and the mixture is supplied through the outlet 108.

In the illustrated embodiment, the liquid inlet 106 is formed as anopening in the top cover 94 of the casing 84 and the liquid outlet 108is formed as an opening in the bottom cover 96 of the casing 84. The topcover 94 may further include a depending wall or end flange 112 thatcovers an inlet side of the solid block 86 to limit the liquid exposureof the solid block 86 to the bottom face 88.

In operation, liquid is supplied to the chambers 22, 26, 28 by theliquid supply assembly (FIG. 2). Liquid can be supplied to each chamber22, 26, 28 at different times of the cycle of operation in order todispense the treating chemistry held by a particular chamber 22, 26, 28at a particular time or phase of the cycle. For example, detergent inthe chamber 26 can be dispensed during the main wash portion of thecycle, while fabric softener in the chamber 28 is dispensed later for arinse phase of the cycle. Liquid can be supplied to chamber 22 atvarious times during the cycle, depending on what type of treatingchemistry is held in the cartridge 24.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through the dispenser assembly 12, takenthrough the cartridge 24, and shows the flow path of liquid through thecartridge 24 to dispense treating chemistry from the solid block 86. Thecartridge 24 is placed in the chamber 22 of the drawer 20, and thedrawer 20 is closed, i.e. within the drawer housing 70. With the bottomwall 80 of the drawer 20 being sloped downwardly, i.e. toward the rearwall 78, the cartridge 24 resting on the bottom wall 80 also takes on asloped orientation, such that the flow channel 104 slopes downwardlytoward the outlet 108.

The drawer housing 70 includes a supply conduit 120 for directing liquidfrom the supply conduit 46 of the liquid supply assembly into thechamber 22. The supply conduit 120 extends through the drawer housing 70along the top of the chamber 22 to an outlet, which may be defined byone or more orifices 122 in the housing 70. The orifices 122 are alignedwith the liquid inlet 106, such that liquid in the supply conduit 120falls into the inlet 106. Due to the flange 112, the incoming liquiddoes not immediately contact the block 86, but rather is directeddownwardly into the flow channel 104 between the ribs 100. The liquidflowing through the flow channel 104 passes under the erosion platform98 to erode a portion of the bottom face 88 of the solid block 86 toform a mixture of liquid and treating chemistry. Due to the slope of thebottom wall 80, the mixture flows by gravity through the outlet 108 atthe rear of the cartridge 24.

The chamber 22 can include an opening 124 that is aligned with theoutlet 108 when the cartridge 24 is received by the chamber 22. Theopening 124 can be formed in the rear wall 78 or bottom wall 80 of thedrawer body 72, or a combination of both such that the opening 124 is ata rear lower corner of the drawer body 72. The slope of the bottom wall80 naturally directs liquid in the chamber 22 toward the opening 124.

The drawer housing 70 further includes a discharge conduit 126 fordirecting the mixture from the opening 124 into the tub 30. Thedischarge conduit 126 extends along the bottom of the chamber 22,beneath the drawer 20 to an outlet 128 in the housing 70 in fluidcommunication with outlet conduit 48 to the tub 30.

The casing 84 protects the solid block 86 on all sides, so thatdissolution only occurs on the bottom face 88 of the block 86 as liquidflows across the bottom face 88 in one direction, as guided by the ribs100 which extend in one direction. The liquid will erode the solid block86 away from the bottom up, with the solid block 86 naturally remainingagainst the erosion platform 98. The bottom face 88 of the block 86 canbe flat as shown, or can alternatively be shaped to erode in a mannerthat will maintain the block 86 in contact with the erosion platform 98to ensure proper dosing; this may be determined by variable such as theerosion rate of the treating chemistry that the block 86 is made of, theflow characteristics of the liquid through the dispenser assembly 12, orthe geometry of the erosion platform 98.

The cartridge 24 can be discarded after use, i.e. once the solid block86 is used up. In other embodiments, the cartridges 24 can be reusableand/refillable. A resuable cartridge can be configured to be returned tothe manufacturer for replenishment or recycling. A refillable cartridgecan be configured to be refilled with treating chemistry by the end userof the laundry treating appliance. It is also noted that a disposablecartridge can be made from recyclable material.

The dispenser assembly 12 can also be configured to operate to dispensetreating chemistry from the chamber 22 without the cartridge 24. In theabsence of the cartridge 24, treating chemistry can be placed directlyin the chamber 22. Alternatively, an insert can be provided for adaptingthe chamber 22 to dispense other treating chemistry. For example, FIG. 5shows the drawer 20 with the cartridge removed and an insert 130 placedin chamber 22. The insert 130 is configured to adapt the chamber 22 todispense a liquid treating chemistry, and includes a tray 132 having asiphon 134 configured to be aligned with a siphon hole 136 in thechamber 22 (FIG. 3). The siphon hole 136 is positioned forwardly of theopening 124 in the chamber 22, and the insert 130 blocks the opening 124when inserted into the chamber 22.

When it is time to dispense the treating chemistry, liquid is suppliedto the tray 132 via the supply path through the drawer housing 70described for FIG. 4. The supplied liquid raises the overall level ofliquid in the tray 132, and triggers discharge through the siphon 134.Similar inserts can be provided for adapting the other chambers 26, 28to dispense liquid treating chemistries.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the dispenser assembly 12 provided on ahorizontal axis washing machine 150 in accordance with a secondembodiment of the invention. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the washingmachine 150 can include a housing 154 defining an interior. The housing154 can be a cabinet, chassis, or both. A door 158 may be mounted to thehousing 154 to selectively close an access opening to the interior. Thehousing 154 may also support the dispenser assembly 12 for dispensingtreating chemistry during a cycle of operation. The dispenser assembly12 can be provided on an exterior or interior of the housing 154 and isshown as a drawer configuration that pulls out from the exterior of thehousing 154. The drawer 20 may include a different configuration of thechambers 22, 26, 28 in order to adapted to the horizontal axisconfiguration of the washing machine 150, but is otherwise substantiallyidentical to the dispenser assembly 12 described above for the firstembodiment. For instance, treating chemistry from the cartridge 24 isdispensed substantially as described for FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view through a dispenser assembly 160 inaccordance with a third embodiment of the invention. The dispenserassembly 160 may be provided in a laundry treating appliance 162, suchas the vertical axis washing machine 10 or the horizontal axis washingmachine 150 described above, and shares many features in common with thedispenser assembly 12. The laundry treating appliance 162 is illustratedschematically, and shares many features of a traditional automaticwashing machine, which will not be described in detail except asnecessary for a complete understanding of illustrative embodiments inaccordance with the present disclosure. As shown, the laundry treatingappliance 162 includes a tub 164 configured to hold liquid and liquidsupply assembly 166 is provided to supply liquid, such as water or acombination of water and one or more treating chemistries, into the tub.

The dispenser assembly 160 generally comprises a dispenser housing 168that accommodates a bulk cartridge 170 containing a bulk supply oftreating chemistry. The dispenser assembly 160 has various functions,the main functions being: (1) to support the cartridge 170 in thelaundry treating appliance 162; (2) to provide controlled flow of liquidrequired for proper dilution of the treating chemistry at the right timeduring the cycle of operation; (3) to discharge the mixture resultingfrom dilution of the treating chemistry to a suitable area of thelaundry treating appliance 162, such as the tub 164; and (4) othercomplementary functions. The basic function of the cartridge 170 is tocontain the consumable treating chemistry.

The dispenser housing 168 may be a separate component that is mounted orfixed to a housing of the appliance 162, or may be formed with orprovided by a portion of the appliance housing itself. The liquid supplyassembly 166 can include one or more pathways for directing liquid andfrom the dispenser housing 168.

Referring additionally to FIGS. 8-9, the dispenser housing 168 definesat least one chamber 172 that receives the cartridge 170. The chamber172 includes an erosion platform 174 for supporting the cartridge 170.As illustrated, the housing 168 includes a base 176 on which the erosionplatform 174 is provided, and a peripheral wall 178 extending upwardlyfrom the base 176 to an open top. Other embodiments of the dispenserhousing 168 are possible. While not shown, the dispenser assembly 160can be configured to dispense additional treating chemistries formsingle dose chambers, like the dispenser assembly 12 described above.

As illustrated, the base 176 includes a plurality of support ribs 180extending upwardly to free edges 182 that collectively define theerosion platform 174. The support ribs 180 can be formed as elongated,upstanding, and spaced walls on the base 176.

Referring to FIG. 7, the bulk cartridge 170 includes a casing 184containing a bulk supply of treating chemistry. The bulk supply can beprovided in the form of a solid block 186 of treating chemistry. Theillustrated solid block 186 has a generally rectangular cuboid shape,with six quadrilateral faces, including a bottom face 188, a top face190, and four side faces collectively defining a peripheral surface 192of the block 186. Other three dimensional shapes of the block 186 arepossible.

The cartridge 170 contains enough treating chemistry for multiple cyclesof operation, i.e. to treat multiple loads of laundry. In an alternateembodiment, the cartridge 170 may be a single-dose cartridge containingenough treating chemistry for only a single cycle of operation. This isless preferred, because a user would need to replace the cartridge witheach cycle. The cartridge 170 can contain various treating chemistrieswhich improve particular aspects of the laundry treating quality.Multiple cartridges 170 containing different treating chemistries can beprovided. One cartridge can promote one improvement in laundry treatingquality, while another cartridge can promote a different improvement inlaundry treating quality. The cartridges can of course promote anycombination of these improvements as well. If different treatments aredesired for different laundry loads, one cartridge can be exchanged foranother between cycles of operation.

Referring additionally to FIG. 10, the illustrated cartridge casing 184has a three dimensional shape that complements the solid block 186, andincludes a cover 194 with a depending peripheral wall 196 that definesan open-bottomed interior chamber 198 for receiving the solid block 186.The peripheral wall 196 includes a bottom edge 200 defining the openbottom of the casing 184 through which the solid block 186 is received.Tabs 202 can be provided on the bottom edge 200 to aid in insertion andremoval of the cartridge 170 into and from the dispenser housing 168.

The solid block 186 can be received in the interior chamber 198 with thebottom face 188 of the block 186 substantially flush with the bottomedge 200 of the casing 184. The block 186 may fit somewhat loosely inthe casing 184, with some play between the peripheral surface 192 of theblock 186 and the peripheral wall 196 of the casing 184 so that theblock 186 can move downwardly within the casing 184 as treatingchemistry is eroded from the bottom face 188, as described in furtherdetail below. The solid block 186 may be separately formed and theninserted into the casing 184. Alternatively, the block 186 may be formedin the casing 184.

A liquid flow channel 204 for supplying liquid to the solid block 186extends through the dispenser assembly 160, and can extend at leastpartially between the support ribs 180. The ribs 180 can define multiplediscrete flow paths therebetween, which collectively define liquid flowchannel 204.

A liquid inlet 206 to the flow channel 204 is in fluid communicationwith a liquid supply assembly 166 and a liquid outlet 208 from the flowchannel 204 is in fluid communication with the tub 164, either directly,or indirectly via a basket or treating chamber of the appliance 162. Theinlet and outlet 206, 208 can be formed in the housing 168, such thatliquid flows into the housing 168 through the inlet 206, passes throughthe flow channel 204, and out of the housing 168 through the outlet 208.As the liquid passes through the flow channel 204, it passes under theerosion platform 174 to erode a portion of the solid block 186 to form amixture of liquid and treating chemistry, and the mixture is suppliedthrough the outlet 208.

In the illustrated embodiment, the liquid inlet 206 is formed as aninlet conduit formed in the dispenser housing 168 laterally of the blockchamber 172, and defined by the peripheral wall 178 and an inner wall orend flange 210 spaced inwardly from the peripheral wall 178. The flange210 separates the block chamber 172 from the inlet 206. The flange 210is spaced from the base 176 of the dispenser housing 168 to providepassage for liquid into the flow channel 204. The flange 210 also coversan inlet side of the solid block 186 to limit the liquid exposure of thesolid block 186 to the bottom face 188. The liquid outlet 208 islikewise formed by a space between the peripheral wall 178 and the base176 of the dispenser housing 168, but at an opposite end of thedispenser housing 138 from the inlet 206.

The base 176 includes a bottom support 212 and angled wall formingbottom wall 214 of chamber 172 from which the ribs 180 extend. Thebottom wall 214 is angled relative to the horizontal, with horizontalbeing defined by the surface on which the appliance 162 rests. Thebottom wall 214 slopes downwardly from the inlet 206 to the outlet 208,such liquid in the flow channel 204 tends to flow toward the outlet 208.The bottom wall 214 include a downwardly curved lip 216 at the outlet208. The bottom support 212 can be wedge-shaped and can taper in thedirection of the outlet 208 in order to provide the bottom wall 214 witha slope toward the outlet 208. With the ribs 180 extending upwardly fromthe bottom wall 214, the ribs 180 will take on the slope of the bottomwall 214

Other locations or configurations for the liquid inlet 206 are possible.For example, the inlet 206 can be over the block chamber 172 rather thanlateral to the block chamber 172, can rain down directly on top of thecartridge 170, and then flow underneath the cartridge 170 to pass underthe erosion platform 174. The casing 184 protects the solid block 186 onall sides, so that dissolution only occurs on the bottom face 188 of theblock 186 as liquid flows across the bottom face 188 in one direction,as guided by the ribs 180 which extend in one direction. The liquid willerode the solid block 186 away from the bottom up, with the solid block186 naturally remaining against the erosion platform 174. The bottomface 188 of the block 186 can be flat as shown, or can alternatively beshaped to erode in a manner that will maintain the block 186 in contactwith the erosion platform 174 to ensure proper dosing; this may bedetermined by variable such as the erosion rate of the treatingchemistry that the block 186 is made of, the flow characteristics of theliquid through the dispenser assembly 160, or the geometry of theerosion platform 174.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 7, and shows the flow pathof liquid through the dispenser assembly 160 to dispense treatingchemistry from the cartridge 170. In operation, liquid is supplied tothe dispenser assembly 160 by the liquid supply assembly 166. Liquid canbe supplied to dispenser assembly 160 at various times during the cycleof operation, depending on what type of treating chemistry is held inthe cartridge 170. The cartridge 170 is placed in the chamber 172 of thedispenser housing 168, with the bottom wall 214 and ribs 180 beingsloped, the cartridge 170 resting on the erosion platform 174 also takeson a sloped orientation. The tabs 202 can be received by slots 218 (FIG.8-9) in the dispenser housing 168 to secure the cartridge 170 in place.

When the cartridge 170 is inserted into the dispenser assembly 160, thebottom face 188 of the consumable block 186 is supported by the erosionplatform 174, which is shaped to enable exposure of the block 186 to acontrolled flow of liquid. The liquid supply assembly 166 directs thecontrolled flow of liquid into the inlet 206. Due to the flange 210 andthe lateral spacing of the inlet 206 from the cartridge 170, theincoming liquid does not immediately contact the block 186, but ratheris directed downwardly into the flow channel 204 between the ribs 180.The liquid flowing through the flow channel 204 passes under the erosionplatform 174 to expose only the bottom face 188 of the block 186 toliquid. This exposure will promote removal of material from theconsumable block 186 by erosion or similar mechanism. The amount oftreating chemistry removed from the block 186 is the quantity oftreating chemistry required for a particular load or cycle. The erodedtreating chemistry forms a mixture with the supplied liquid and, due tothe slope of the bottom wall 214, the mixture flows by gravity throughthe outlet 208 and into the tub 164.

The cartridge 170 can be discarded after use, i.e. once the solid block186 is used up. In other embodiments, the cartridges 170 can be reusableand/refillable. A resuable cartridge can be configured to be returned tothe manufacturer for replenishment or recycling. A refillable cartridgecan be configured to be refilled with treating chemistry by the end userof the laundry treating appliance. It is also noted that a disposablecartridge can be made from recyclable material.

The laundry treating appliance 162 can be programmed to send enoughliquid through the dispenser assembly 160 to dispense the amount oftreating chemistry required in each cycle. This amount may vary,depending on load size, cycle selection, and other factors. For example,for a cycle treating a large load of laundry, more treating chemistrymay be dispensed than for a cycle treating a small load of laundry. Theappliance 162 can be provided with a suitable apparatus for determiningload size, such as a weight sensor coupled with a controller.

The dispenser assemblies of any of the embodiments disclosed herein canbe provided in conjunction with a sensing and control system. Forexample, the amount of treating chemistry that is dissolved for a singlecycle can be controlled by controlling the amount of time that waterflows past the block. This time can be determined based on the flow rateof the water and the rate at which a particular treating chemistrydissolves into water, as well as the size of the flow chamber and thesize of the area of the block that is exposed to water.

FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a sensingassembly 230 for treating chemistry in a laundry treating appliance. Ifthe treating chemistry changes the surface tension or viscosity ofliquid supplied to the appliance, such as water, the laundry treatingappliance itself can be used as a gross type of viscometer. The sensingassembly 230 is shown and described in the context of the vertical axiswashing machine 10 from FIG. 2, but it is understood that the sensingassembly 230 can be applied to any of the laundry treating appliances.The viscometer sensing assembly 230 is a rotating plate viscometerhaving one plate 232 that stays in place while another plate 234rotates. In this case, the non-moving plate 232 can be provided on thetub 30, or can be the tub 30 itself, and the rotating plate 234 can beprovided on the basket 32, or can be the basket 32 itself. Duringoperation, wash liquid between the tub 30 and basket 32 provides aliquid sample 236 between the plates 232, 234. The drag caused by therelative motion of the liquid sample 236 and the rotating plate 234 is ameasure of the viscosity of the wash liquid, and can be determined fromtorque feedback on the motor 38 used to rotate the basket 32. Bycomparing the viscosity of the liquid sample 236 to a reference point,such as the viscosity of water without treating chemistry, the amount oftreating chemistry that has been dispensed can be determined. Thisinformation can be used, for example, to determine when to halt theintroduction of liquid into the dispenser assembly, or when to divertliquid around the dispenser assembly. In addition to controlling theamount of treating chemistry dispensed per cycle, the sensing assembly230 can also be used to provide feedback to the user when the treatingchemistry has been used up. It is noted that this viscometer sensingassembly 230 is useable with any type of treating chemistry dispenser,not just the bulk dispensers disclosed herein.

FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of a sensingassembly 240 for treating chemistry in a laundry treating appliance. Thesensing assembly 240 is shown and described in the context of thevertical axis washing machine 10 having the dispenser assembly 12 fromFIG. 2, but it is understood that the sensing assembly 240 can beapplied to any of the laundry treating appliances or dispenserassemblies disclosed herein. For FIG. 13, the amount of treatingchemistry that is dissolved for a single cycle can be controlled bydetecting a physical property of the wash liquid within the tub 30. Forexample if the treating chemistry from the cartridge 24 changes theconductivity of water, the change in conductivity can be used to detectthe amount of treating chemistry dispensed from the cartridge 24. Somenon-limiting examples of treating chemistries which change theconductivity of water include metal salts.

The sensing assembly 240 includes a conductivity sensor 242 positionedto contact wash liquid. The sensor 242 is shown in the sump 52 of thetub 30, but other locations are possible. Some other exemplary positionsof the sensor 242 include at the outlet of the dispenser assembly 12, inthe outlet conduit 48, or other locations fluidly downstream of thedispenser assembly 12. The sensor 242 can be coupled with the controller62, and the controller 62 can use feedback from the conductivity sensor242 to determine when to stop providing liquid through the dispenserassembly 12 or when to divert liquid around the dispenser assembly 12.The sensor 242 can be calibrated against the background conductivity ofthe liquid supplied to the washing machine 10 without treatingchemistry. In addition to controlling the amount of treating chemistrydispensed per cycle, the sensing assembly 240 can also be used toprovide feedback to the user when the treating chemistry in thecartridge 24 has been used up.

FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of a dispenserassembly 250 for a laundry treating appliance. The dispenser assembly250 is configured to provide segregated and timed dispensing ofoff-the-shelf chemistry similar to pods that are commercially availabletoday. The dispenser assembly 250 allows a user to load time-dispensablesegregated treating chemistry for multiple cycles at one time. Targetedtreating chemistry can be dispensed at a desired phase of the cycle ofoperation.

The dispenser assembly 250 included a segregated storage container orpod 252 and a mixing chamber 254. The segregated storage pod 252includes multiple chemistry chambers for storing a bulk supply oftreating chemistry. Each chamber is partitioned from the others, and isfillable and refillable with treating chemistry, including powders,gels, and/or liquid treating chemistries. As shown, the pod 252 isdivided into four chambers I, II, III, and IV.

The pod 252 can be removed from the appliance to manually load or siphontreating chemistry into the chambers I-IV of the pod 252. Alternatively,treating chemistry can be manually loaded or siphoned into the chambersI-IV of the pod 252 with the pod 252 still in place on the appliance.Unlike the pods that are commercially available today, which arecompletely used up after one cycle, the pod 252 is reusable andrefillable for many cycles of operation.

The mixing chamber 254 defines an interior 256 for receiving treatingchemistry from the pod 252. The mixing chamber includes a stirrer 258within the interior 256, which mixes the treating chemistry dispensedfrom the storage pod 252 with liquid to create a mixture of treatingchemistry and of treating chemistry and liquid.

The treating chemistry can be dispensed through a valve assembly 260which can multiple one-way valves or membranes, and which can betriggered via appropriate opening mechanisms. The valve assembly 260 mayinclude one valve or membrane per chamber I-IV. Treating chemistry maybe dispensed into the mixing chamber 254 by gravity feed, and the valveassembly 260 can be provided in the supply line between the pod 252 andmixing chamber 254 to control the feed of treating chemistry from thechambers I-IV into the mixing chamber 254.

The valve assembly 260 may operate sequentially to dispense treatingchemistry from each chamber I-IV. Alternatively, the valve assembly 260may dispense from a particular chamber or chambers I-IV as needed,depending on the cycle of operation and the type of treating chemistriesneeded. For example, one cycle may only need a detergent and a fabricsoftener, and so may dispense from two chambers only, while anothercycle may need a detergent, a fabric softener, and bleach, and so willdispenser from three chambers, and so on. The dispenser assembly 250 maybe operatively coupled with a controller of the appliance to time theoperation of the valve assembly 260 and stirrer 258 in accordance withthe cycle of operation, such that treating chemistry targeted forspecific phases of the cycle is dispensed at the correct time.

Alternative assemblies for controlling the provision of treatingchemistry into the mixing chamber 254 are possible, including pumps orblowers. In another embodiment, the storage pod 252 may rotate to bringone of the chambers I-IV into a loading position relative to the mixingchamber 254, with the chamber in the loading position also being inoperative alignment with an appropriate opening mechanism.

A liquid supply assembly 262 of the laundry treating appliance suppliesliquid, such as water, from a liquid source, such as a household watersupply, to the mixing chamber 254 through a supply conduit 264. Anoutlet conduit 266 extends from the mixing chamber 254 to supply themixture of treating chemistry and liquid to a tub 268 of the appliance.It is noted that the treating chemistry supplied can be supplieddirectly to the tub 268 or indirectly to the tub 268, such as via abasket or treating chamber of the appliance.

In operation, treating chemistry is dispensed from one of the chambersI-IV of the storage pod 252 into the mixing chamber 254 by operation ofthe valve assembly 260. This may be done before, after, orsimultaneously with the supply of liquid to the mixing chamber 254through the supply conduit 264. The stirrer 258 mixes the treatingchemistry in the mixing chamber 254 with the supplied liquid to create amixture of liquid and treating chemistry. The mixing ratio of liquid totreating chemistry may be pre-determined by the chemistry type and/orcycle type, and may be controlled by an algorithm executed by thecontroller of the appliance. The mixture exits the mixing chamber and issupplied to the tub 268 via the outlet conduit 266. This dispensingoperation may be repeated during a cycle of operation to dispensetreating chemistry from one or more of the other chambers I-IV. Betweendispensing operations, the mixing chamber 254 may be flushed with plainliquid from the liquid supply assembly 262 in order to remove anyresidual treating chemistry from a prior dispensing operation.

The benefits of the dispenser assembly 250 according to the describedembodiment include: (1) The use of segregated treating chemistries. Thesegregated storage pod 252 allows potentially incompatible treatingchemistries to be stored together; (2) The timed/targeted dispensing ofdifferent treating chemistries at different phases of the cycle ofoperation; and (3) Bulk storage of segregated, treating chemistry. Thedispenser assembly 250 can accommodate multiple doses of multipletreating chemistries at a time, such that a user need only periodicallyload the dispenser assembly 250, rather than having to load it for eachcycle of operation.

FIG. 15 is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of a dispenserassembly 280 for a laundry treating appliance. The dispenser assembly280 is configured to facilitate the use of pods in bulk, and also toprovide timed dispensing of the segregated treating chemistry in variousphases of a cycle of operation. The dispenser assembly 280 also enablesthe use of multiple pods in the same cycle, or even in the same phase ofthe cycle, based on the load size and soil level of the laundry load.

The dispenser assembly 280 included a pod storage chamber 282 and aholding plate 284. The pod storage chamber 282 defines an interior 286for storing multiple pods 288, and can store the pods 288 in a linearcolumn as shown, or in other configurations. The chamber 282 includes anoutlet 290 aligned with the holding plate 284.

The interior 286 is fillable and refillable with pods 288, and thestorage chamber 282 can be removed from the appliance to manually loadpods 288 into the interior 286. Alternatively, pods 288 can be manuallyloaded into the interior 286 with the chamber 282 still in place on theappliance. Unlike the pod dispensers that are commercially availabletoday, which must be loaded by the user for every cycle, the dispenserassembly 280 stores a bulk supply of pods 288 for many cycles ofoperation.

As used for the present embodiment, the term “pod” denotes a laundrytreatment unit having multiple different treating chemistries formed asa single package or pack. The illustrated pods 288 include multiplechemistries, each segregated from each other in the pod 288. As shown,the pod 288 is divided into four sealed segments 292, each holding atreating chemistry. The segments 292 shown are equal in size, but it isunderstood that the segments 292 may differ in size in order toaccommodate a smaller or larger volume of treating chemistry as needed.The segments 292 may be formed of a material that can be punctured, asdescribed in further detail below. Some non-limiting examples include athin casing or film of polyvinyl alcohol, ethylene vinyl alcohol orother water-soluble polymers. Using a water soluble material for thesegments 292 has the added advantage of automatically dissolving in thepresent of water, so that a user does not have to clean out thedispenser assembly 280 between cycles. The pods 288 can be off-the-shelfpods that are commercially available today, or can be speciallyconfigured for use with the dispenser assembly 280.

The holding plate 284 is rotatable about an axis 294, and can be coupledwith a suitable drive assembly, such as a motor 296. The rotational axis294 of the holding plate 284 can be substantially parallel to thedirection that a pod 288 is dispensed through the outlet 290 of thechamber 282, and may further be coaxial with this direction such thatthe dispensed pod 288 is centered on the plate 284.

A puncturing arm 298 is provided adjacent to the holding plate 284 andis equipped with hollow piercing needle 300. The piercing needle 300includes a sharp terminal end 302 configured to pierce the pod 288, andits hollow interior is in fluid communication with a liquid supplyassembly 304 of the laundry treating appliance. The liquid supplyassembly 304 supplies liquid, such as water, from a liquid source, suchas a household water supply, through a supply conduit 306 and to thehollow interior of the piercing needle 300.

The puncturing arm 298 can move toward the pod 288 on the holding plate284 to pierce one of the segments 292 with the needle 300. The holdingplate 284 can rotate and position the pod 288 relative to the puncturingarm 298 as needed to puncture each segment 292 of the pod 288individually with the sharp end 302 of the needle 300. The needle 300can pierce the pod selectively. After each puncturing, liquid flowsthrough the needle 300 to pass the treating chemistry into an outletconduit 308. The outlet conduit 308 extends to a tub 310 of theappliance to supply the mixture of treating chemistry and liquid to thetub 310. It is noted that the treating chemistry supplied can besupplied directly to the tub 310, or indirectly to the tub 310 via abasket or treating chamber of the appliance.

The holding plate 284 may include one or more openings therein forpassing the mixture to the outlet conduit 308. For example, the holdingplate 284 may be formed as a holding chamber which is configured toexpose only one segment 292 at a time to the piercing needle 300, andthe chamber may include one or more passages leading to the outletconduit 308.

The pods 288 are individually dispensable, though more than one pod 288may be dispensed for a cycle of operation, depending on factors such asload size and soil level of the laundry load. One pod 288 can bedispensed to the holding plate 284 via appropriate opening mechanism 312at the outlet 290 of the chamber 282. The opening mechanism 312 caninclude a valve, door, or membrane at the outlet 290. When the openingmechanism 312 is open, a pod 288 is dispensed to the holding plate viagravity feed. After a pod 288 is dispensed the outlet 290 is closed.

In operation, a number of pods 288 are loaded in the pod storage chamber282. A pod 288 is dispensed from the chamber 282 onto the holding plate284 by opening the outlet 290 with the opening mechanism 312, which canrotate and position the pod 288 for the puncturing arm 298 to punctureeach segment 292 of the pod 288 individually. The holding plate 284 mayrotate in one direction to dispense treating chemistry sequentially fromeach segment 292 in order. Alternatively, the plate 284 may rotate ineither direction as needed to dispense from the segments 292 in anon-sequential order, depending on the cycle of operation and the typeof treating chemistries needed. The dispenser assembly 280 may beoperatively coupled with a controller of the appliance to time theoperation of the opening mechanism 312 and holding plate 284 inaccordance with the cycle of operation, such that treating chemistrytargeted for specific phases of the cycle is dispensed at the correcttime.

After each puncturing, liquid flowing through the needle 300 passes thetreating chemistry into the tub 310. Based on the load size and soillevel, multiple pods 288 can be deposited on the holding plate 284 andused during a cycle. Preferably, the pod 288 is configured to becompletely used up during the cycle, with the treating chemistry beingused to treat the laundry and the remaining portion of the pod 288, i.e.the segments 292 being formed of a water soluble material that willdissolve into the wash liquid and flushed into the tub 310. Otherwise,used pods 288 can be removed by the user after the cycle of operation.

The benefits of the dispenser assembly 280 according to the describedembodiment include: (1) Bulk storage and use of pods; (2) Ability to useexisting, commercially available pods; (3) Timed/targeted dispensing oftreating chemistry within the pods; and (4) Metering pod dispensingbased on the load size and soil level.

To the extent not already described, the different features andstructures of the various embodiments can be used in combination witheach other as desired. That one feature is not illustrated in all of theembodiments is not meant to be construed that it cannot be, but is donefor brevity of description. Thus, the various features of the differentembodiments can be mixed and matched as desired to form new embodiments,whether or not the new embodiments are expressly described. Allcombinations or permutations of features described herein are covered bythis disclosure.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention,including the best mode, and to enable any person skilled in the art topractice the invention, including making and using any devices orsystems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope ofthe invention is defined by the claims, and can include other examplesthat occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intendedto be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elementsthat do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if theyinclude equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differencesfrom the literal languages of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A laundry treating appliance for treating laundryin accordance with an automatic cycle of operation comprising: a tubdefining an interior for retaining liquid; a liquid supply assembly influid communication with the tub and operable to supply liquid for usein treating laundry; and a dispenser assembly comprising: a housingdefining a chamber with a base; one or more support ribs located withinthe chamber and collectively defining an erosion platform located abovethe base that is configured to support a solid block of treatingchemistry; a liquid flow channel extending at least partially along theone or more support ribs; a liquid inlet to the flow channel in fluidcommunication with the liquid supply assembly; and a liquid outlet fromthe flow channel in fluid communication with the tub; wherein liquidsupplied to the liquid inlet enters the liquid flow channel and theliquid flow channel is configured to pass the liquid under the erosionplatform to erode a portion of the solid block to form a mixture ofliquid and treating chemistry, and the mixture is supplied to the tubthrough the liquid outlet.
 2. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1,wherein the one or more support ribs extend upwardly from the base ofthe chamber.
 3. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein thebase of the chamber is sloped toward the liquid outlet.
 4. The laundrytreating appliance of claim 1, wherein the chamber defines opposingfirst and second ends, with the base extending between the opposingfirst and second ends, and the liquid inlet is provided at the first endand the liquid outlet is provided at the second end.
 5. The laundrytreating appliance of claim 4, wherein the base of the chamber is slopedbetween the first and second ends, toward the liquid outlet.
 6. Thelaundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the liquid flow channelslopes downwardly between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet.
 7. Thelaundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the one or more supportribs comprises multiple support ribs, and the support ribs are spacedfrom each other to form the liquid flow channel between the supportribs.
 8. The laundry treating appliance of claim 7, wherein the supportribs comprise elongated, upstanding, and spaced walls, with at least twodiscrete flow paths therebetween defining the liquid flow channel. 9.The laundry treating appliance of claim 8, wherein the walls haveopposing ends, with the liquid inlet provided at one of the opposingends and the liquid outlet provided at the other of the opposing ends.10. The laundry treating appliance of claim 1, wherein the dispenserassembly further comprises a cartridge defining a cartridge interior forreceipt of the solid block of treating chemistry, wherein the cartridgeis receivable within the chamber.
 11. The laundry treating appliance ofclaim 10, wherein the erosion platform is provided with the cartridge.12. The laundry treating appliance of claim 10, wherein the cartridgecomprises a casing having multiple sides that form a block chamber inconjunction with the erosion platform for receipt of the solid block oftreating chemistry.
 13. The laundry treating appliance of claim 12,wherein the casing comprises an open bottom configured to confront theone or more support ribs, such that the solid block rests directly onthe erosion platform.
 14. A treating chemistry cartridge for use in adispenser assembly of a laundry treating appliance for treating laundryin accordance with an automatic cycle of operation, the treatingchemistry cartridge comprising: a casing defining an interior chamberwith a base and having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet; one or moresupport ribs extending upwardly relative from the base, and collectivelydefining an erosion platform configured to support a solid block oftreating chemistry within the interior chamber; and a liquid flowchannel extending between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet, atleast partially defined by the one or more support ribs; wherein, liquidsupplied to the liquid inlet enters the liquid flow channel and passesunder the erosion platform to erode a portion of the solid block. 15.The treating chemistry cartridge of claim 14, wherein the liquid outletis provided in the base, and the base is sloped toward the liquidoutlet.
 16. The laundry treating appliance of claim 14, wherein the oneor more support ribs comprises multiple support ribs, and the supportribs are spaced from each other to form the liquid flow channel betweenthe support ribs.
 17. The treating chemistry cartridge of claim 16,wherein the support ribs comprise elongated, upstanding, and spacedwalls, with at least two discrete flow paths therebetween defining theliquid flow channel.
 18. The treating chemistry cartridge of claim 14and further comprising a solid block of laundry treating chemistrysufficient for multiple cycles of operation of the laundry treatingappliance, wherein the solid block is received within the casing and issupported by the erosion platform.
 19. The treating chemistry cartridgeof claim 18, wherein the casing encloses multiple sides of the solidblock.
 20. The treating chemistry cartridge of claim 19, wherein thesolid block comprises a top face, a bottom face, and a peripheralsurface between the top and bottom faces, and wherein casing enclosesthe top face and peripheral surface of the solid block.
 21. The treatingchemistry cartridge of claim 14, wherein the liquid inlet comprises anend flange on the casing, with the end flange configured to overlie atleast a portion of the solid block.